Nebraska will vote on November 3 on whether to legalize online sports betting

Nebraska voters will decide on November 3 whether to pass Initiatives 440 and 441. If approved, the measures would open the state to online sports betting, but only through licensed racetrack casinos with an in-state gaming server.

1. Initiative 440 would amend the state constitution to allow online sports betting. Initiative 441 would create the legal framework for it. Today, sports betting in Nebraska is limited to racetrack casinos, where in-person wagering has been legal since 2020 after voter approval.
2. Under the proposed setup, sportsbooks would have to partner with licensed racetrack casinos and operate a gaming server inside Nebraska. If the measures pass, Initiative 441 would give the state commission until June 1 to adopt the regulatory changes needed to implement the market.
3. FanDuel and DraftKings are funding nearly all of the Tax Relief Nebraska campaign. As of September 29, the group had raised $14.65 million and spent $9.22 million, according to public filings. Each company has contributed more than $7 million.
4. The campaign’s main argument is property tax relief. Under the current casino structure, gaming revenue is taxed at 20%, and 70% of the proceeds go to the Property Tax Credit Fund. New sports betting revenue would follow that same model unless lawmakers change it. A study commissioned by the campaign projects $166 million for that fund over 10 years.
5. Opposition has also taken shape. Former University of Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne joined dozens of current and former Huskers players in urging a no vote. Save Nebraska Sports, a group founded in September, published a letter signed by 45 Cornhuskers athletes and coaches, including Ron Brown, Mark Manning, Turner Gill, and Roy Helu Jr. The letter says mobile betting would mean more harassment of athletes, more gambling advertising, and a threat to competitive integrity.

State Treasurer Joey Spellerberg and State Auditor Mike Foley also appear in a paid ad by Spellerberg, arguing that the industry is repeating the “false promises” on property taxes that accompanied the 2020 vote. Foley says in the ad that those taxes did not go down.